


Call Out My Name

by TeaLovingTooru



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - High School, Background Relationships, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Dyslexia, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Internalized Homophobia, Maybe?? I Kinda Suck At Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Slurs, Trans Male Brick (PPG), Trans Male Character, Transphobia, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24836326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaLovingTooru/pseuds/TeaLovingTooru
Summary: Berserk Jojo was used to being alone. She was even more used to the idea that she was the odd one out. Her 'father' meaning to create three little boys, instead getting two little boys and... a very boyish... girl.
Relationships: Brick/Blossom Utonium
Comments: 22
Kudos: 44





	1. Quicksand

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! This fic is... very important to me and has been floating around in my mind for some time!!! I figured it was about time! Now for some more info!!!
> 
> At the beginning of the fic, Brick will be referred to as 'Berserk', which is his deadname!!! I figured using Berserk as his given name would make most sense and I even did a poll on my Instagram (@avesthetea, if you'd like to follow!!!) and it just sounded like it would make the most sense!!! This fic will tackle a lot of different topics, including transphobia, biphobia, lesbophobia and dysphoria!!! The first chapter will be a bit... negative, but... I have to start somewhere. There will occasionally be slurs used, but I will always warn if they'll be in a chapter! And if anybody is curious, my design for Brick pre-transition is based off of the Fem!Brick art my dear friend made! You can find it on her page @ lisa_the_fan !!!
> 
> Please try and remember that these topics are sensitive and if you don't like it/agree with it, please don't read or just keep your negativity to yourself!!! I hope you all enjoy!!! <3

_sol·i·tude_

_ /ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od/ _

_noun_

_the state or situation of being alone._

* * *

Berserk Jojo was used to being alone. She was even more used to the idea that she was the odd one out. Her 'father' meaning to create three little boys, instead getting two little boys and... a very boyish... girl. It was interesting, for sure, because she didn't really feel like a girl, but she was told by her father that she was just a 'tomboy' and that it may change with age, but also that it may not. She didn't know, but she had always tried not to let it bother her. She had thought Mojo may be disappointed, but it was made very clear he was not within just a while of her creation, because he apparently saw it as a good way to get into close proximity of his sworn enemies, the Powerpuff Girls.

Berserk didn't really understand why, because the girls didn't like her at all, because her brothers had made themselves very not liked by the girls. Apparently, sticking gum in Blossom Utonium's hair did not gain the affection or trust of the sisters, but it did in fact help Butch gain a black eye. So what if she'd laughed? He deserved it anyways. When Butch had gotten gum in her hair when they were five, she'd given him worse than a black eye. None of that mattered though, because now, they were sixteen and things felt different.

Her brothers were great at making her feel not quite as different... or, at least most of the time. Most of the time, Butch and Boomer were her number one allies, always having her back and eager to help her whenever she called for them. However, the rest of the time, she wished that she weren't so different after all. She didn't feel different. She felt like one of the boys... but when her brothers caught a guy staring in the hallway or heard her tits being talked about in the locker room? They were less than coy about her female status. Instead, they'd yell stupid shit like _"Stop looking at my sister, ya creep!"_ and _"Don't talk about my sister's tits or I'll knock your fucking teeth out, Graham!"_ Yeah... there was always that ever-present ' _sister_ ' that never seemed to go away. She knew why... she _was_ their sister, but something about it always made her chest feel tight and she would quickly shut down the situation and walk away on her heel when it was said.

But why was that? It was true. She most definitely was their sister, so why did it bother her? Was it because it reminded her of the fact that she was the odd one out? Was it simply because she didn't like guys staring at her? Maybe it was both, she didn't know. She didn't know because she tried not to think about it... it was always too sad, too vulnerable to talk about. She didn't like feeling vulnerable, because being vulnerable was girly and she didn't like being girly! She liked being boyish... sometimes, Berserk wished she were a boy... but she knew that it was hopeless to feel like that anyways, because she _was_ a girl. Science said so... everyone said so. Her body said so. It was bullshit. Why couldn't she just be like her brothers? They were happy. So why wasn't she? 

Her mind had begun wandering as she made her way through the day, not even pausing to push up her glasses as she walked, because they were only for reading anyways, but her eyes weren't scanning her book like they normally were. Instead, her brain was focusing on just how stupid she felt. The stupid lobster had forced her to go shopping... she'd been forced to buy new skirts and dresses and had been coaxed into wearing some makeup and 'properly' taking care of her hair, because apparently just brushing it out and washing it didn't count. She'd had it braided this morning before school by Boomer, who had been taught by their 'mother', because he thought it might help him with 'the ladies', but Berserk didn't believe it anyway... he'd only ever had eyes for the blue Puff. 

So currently, Berserk was walking down the hall, a book in hand, eyes glued to a page, but not taking in the words as her skirt swished around her thighs and she tried to stop herself from licking off the cherry flavored lipgloss... it tasted good, so why was she not supposed to? It was stupid. Why would you make something that tasted good if you weren't supposed to- okay, getting off-topic. The point being, Berserk was far out of her comfort zone, as even her hair was made to look 'cute', since there had been some decorative hair pins shoved in the braid... of course it had been fucking cherry blossoms that decorated the ends of the damn sticks. She tried not to look up... she knew she would just find people staring... she could already hear them talking about her. She hated it. 

In fact, she hated it so much that she had begun speed walking to her next class, only stopping when she abruptly ran into something and heard a squeak and the slamming of several books on the hallway floor, followed by gasps and even some laughs. Berserk slowly lifted her eyes up from the book she was most definitely not reading. There, sprawled out on the floor and red in the face, was Blossom Utonium. Berserk tried not to look horrified by what had just happened. It had been a few years, but she and her brothers had given up on destroying the Utonium sisters, because they didn't really hate them anymore... they really were actually pretty cool. However, they had to keep up the facade that they hated them, lest Mojo Jojo find out that any of his children were actually soft on the girls. 

"Berserk. As much as I encourage expanding one's knowledge through literature, can you _please_ watch where you're going? You could have seriously hurt someone!" The redhead scolded, gathering her books and taking the hand extended to her by her very annoying friend, Mike. God. The poor kid was probably just chasing her skirt... that annoyed Berserk more than it should, but she chalked it up to the fact that she hated all men that weren't her brothers. 

"Man, Blossom. You really must need people to know just how smart you are, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, the annoyance at the display seeping in. Now she really did want to be mean. "Why is that? Because your brain is the only thing you have going for you? I gotta say, you may want to work on that, because I hate to say it, not all guys appreciate a lady for her brains."

Blossom scoffed, cheeks flushed and she glared, turning her nose up. "Who said I care what any man but my father has to think about me? I'd rather focus on my studies than shamelessly running around from boy to boy."

"Damn, Pinky. You sure got it tough... a closet lesbian _and_ you gotta daddy complex... how sad." She pouted teasingly. "Also, watch what you say, you may hurt your sister's feelings."

Ok. So _maybe_ that had been just a bit unnecessary... 

She could see the way Bubbles deflated, eyes going down towards the floor before she walked away. Man. She really was a bitch, wasn't she? She was about to apologize, when suddenly, Buttercup moved forward, smacking her book out of her hand. "Apologize to them both. _Now._ You don't know _shit."_

"Buttercup, language, please." Blossom sighed. "Some people just don't know when to quit. Come on, you guys..." She turned on her heel, wrapping an arm around Bubbles before looking over her shoulder at Berserk, who knew she probably looked a bit like a child who had been punished for the first time. "You know... I really thought maybe you were changing. But I guess not. You're better than this."

"Oh, yeah? I remember you telling me once upon a time that I would never amount to anything." She scoffed, eyes narrowing. "It's none of your fucking business what I do anyways!"

"We were _ten!"_ She said, cheeks flushed with frustration. "Not like you've never said something in the heat of the moment!"

"I'm sorry, I forget even Miss Perfect, the ice prude, makes mistakes too." She bit back, snarling. 

Blossom's eyes widened at that, pausing as she let go of Bubbles, turning back to Berserk with a very fake, very clearly angry smile. "You know... I think it's funny. I try a million times to be nice to you, but you just _insist_ on acting like a... a _bitch._ I don't know why you're so determined to make sure people don't like you! At least I'm not pretending to be something I'm not. Is that the only thing you're pretending to be? A bitch? Really, Berserk, I'm just curious."

Something inside of her snapped at that... was she pretending to be anything else? Blossom knew for sure that she wasn't really such a 'bitch'... she'd seen enough of her softer moments to know that it wasn't really the cause... but was she calling her out on something? Did she know something she didn't...? Could she read her thoughts? Had she developed another power or something that could royally fuck her up? 

Berserk swallowed, licking her lips and giving her a very stiff smile. "You know, Blossom... you're right. I'm truly just pretending to be a bitch. But maybe, just maybe... before judging other people for their defense mechanisms, maybe you should learn to address your own. I mean... how's your OCD going for you...? Do you still scrub your hands in the sink until your hands bleed? Still write lines in your journal that it's ok to be the way you are? Because I hate to say... no matter how many lines you write in your journal, you'll never be normal. You're a _freak."_

Blossom's fingers twitched at that and she hastily shoved her hands into her pockets, answering that question. Berserk regretted saying it the second she said it... but she couldn't take it back. Not now, not ever. Buttercup took it from there, Blossom and Bubbles quickly walking away, Bubbles pulling one of Blossom's hands out of her pocket to hold tight... she couldn't help but notice that Blossom's grip was so tight that her knuckles were white. She wanted to slap herself... or worse. 

Buttercup was standing before her, arms crossed over her chest, an eyebrow raised. "You really are a bitch. You know that? What the hell is wrong with you? When has she ever fucked with you for something like that? She doesn't say shit like _"Oh, Berserk, why do you even try reading, we all know you're too stupid with your dyslexia! You'll never be smart!'_ Does she? You're a bitch. And that's all you'll ever be. A bitchy, bitchy _girl."_

Berserk stared at her for a moment, about to speak when she suddenly closed her mouth, looking down at her feet. 

"Too scared to say anything? I dare you, go ahead. Give me a reason to knock one of your teeth out, bitch." 

Berserk shook her head, finally turning on her heel. She walked away, one hand clutching her book and the other gripping the hem of her skirt. She felt like she was going to be sick. "You're right... I'm just a bitchy... girl."

Berserk couldn't remember the last time she had felt so shitty. She typically felt a bit lonely within her own mind, wishing things were different, but what things she didn't know. She didn't find much solace in wishing things were different... it had never helped anyone just to _wish_ things were different. For things to change, you had to actively change things... Berserk wanted things to be different, but what if she didn't like how things would be if she acted on that? What if she was wrong? What if she was only so bitter because she wished she were more like Blossom or her brothers...? Why couldn't she just have been born the way Mojo had intended? A boy... evil and uncaring for anything. It didn't feel very fair.

She went to the courtyard, footsteps quick and uneven until she quickly found herself at _the_ tree, taking her to time to climb up... sure, she could have just floated her way up there, but for once, she wanted to feel normal. When she finally found herself sitting on her preferred limb, she relaxed on the wood, biting down on her cherry-flavoured lip, looking up at the leaves and simply trying to focus on the way the sunlight danced through the leaves... it was most certainly not working. 

She didn't understand why exactly it wasn't working. It was nice up here... peaceful and quiet, save from the rattling of the leaves dancing with the wind, as well as the soft twittering of birds and of course, the sound of kids walking through the courtyard on their way to their next class. However, she couldn't get herself to stop thinking about what had just happened... about _Blossom._

Despite all of her faults, Blossom was actually a pretty cool person, even if she could be very fucking annoying... she always had others best interests in mind, even though she seemed a bit vain and self-centered... she wasn't really. She'd seen it before... she knew that Blossom wasn't actually very fond of herself, something that resonated deep inside of Berserk... she wasn't actually snooty... she just wanted to appear more stable than she felt. Berserk was the same way. 

She knew, because Blossom was the one who had shown her the tree and the best way to climb it. There had been a time where Blossom had extended an olive branch to her and her brothers... she'd taken advantage of it in the end, because she'd gotten scared. Blossom had helped pull her into that tree... had shown her what it was like to be so high off of the ground without using their powers... it had been a wonderful experience... it had also been damning for her.

Berserk was well aware there was something different about her other than just the fact that she was a girl... she knew that it lay in her sexual preference too. She didn't like men... not romantically, at least. She had realized, because of Blossom, that she preferred women... maybe that was part of why she felt uncomfortable being referred to as a girl like that. Maybe it was because she knew there was something wrong... women weren't supposed to like other women. Tons of people said so... but why? 

She had thought about it for a very long time, but she could never make herself understand. Why couldn't she be normal...? Why couldn't she have just been born a boy? She felt like a boy... she liked girls, like most boys did, even though the idea of her being a lesbian made her uncomfortable...hell, everything about herself made her uncomfortable. She wanted to be normal, or at least as normal as a superhuman could be. It sucked. Her brothers were doing just fine... Boomer was in the band and was on the baseball team, headed for the captain's position and Butch played basketball and football _and_ he was in a club dedicated to plants... and Berserk? 

Berserk was tied for valedictorian her graduation year with Blossom, but she didn't even care anymore. She'd spent so long working to make sure that could be just as good, if not better than the eldest Utonium sister, but now it didn't even matter, because she wasn't happy. She didn't like herself very much because one thing after another just seemed to upset her. She didn't like her freckles. She didn't like her eyes. She didn't like her obnoxiously thick and curly hair... she didn't like her body. She didn't like anything physical about herself... and currently, she didn't very much like herself mentally.

Calling out Blossom and teasing her about being a closeted lesbian was a dick move. Blossom wasn't a lesbian, so far as Berserk knew, but it wasn't ok to say that, that much she knew... because if it had been her, Berserk probably would have gotten so flustered and upset that she would have set the whole hallway on fire trying not to get choked up and swallowed by the anxiety that would be coursing through her veins. It also definitely wasn't very cool for her to mention her obsessive-compulsive disorder... when Blossom had found out she had dyslexia, she offered to help her study. She'd seen Berserk snap a few pencils too many from rage at herself during tests, all because she couldn't properly read the text. She shouldn't have said what she did and yet her pride wouldn't allow her to apologize to Blossom... and it definitely wouldn't allow her to apologize to the little blue-eyed sister his brother was absolutely gone for. 

Bubbles was sweet... always had been. Even to her. So what was Berserk's problem? Was she really that bitter with her own insecurities that she had to casually insult the sweetest girl in the school, just because she wanted to play like some heartless bitch. She had a heart... a very full, very sensitive heart. Yes, laugh it up, Berserk Jojo, 'The Bludgeoner' was _sensitive._ It was stupid and annoying, but she cared more about people than she liked to admit. She even cared for Blossom and her sisters, even though she was born to hate them and they could all be really, really annoying. 

But... were they actually really annoying? Probably not. Everyone was annoying sometimes. Boomer was annoying when he wouldn't stop playing his guitar and singing at three in the morning. Butch was annoying when- well, ok, Butch was kind of annoying all of the time, but he was also a really cool guy to have as a brother. She knew she was probably annoying whenever she got her monthly cycle, because she would always plead with one of the boys to get her strawberry and chocolate swirled ice cream and would end up crying if they said no... but to be fair, that wasn't really her fault... she would much rather stop having a period forever... it was gross and annoying and painful... she hated it with everything she had. 

She let her mind trail back to Blossom, biting down on her lip as she looked through the leaves again. Blossom was a whole other type of super-human. She was kind. She was smart... and she was very, very pretty. Hell, even her laugh was obnoxiously cute. So was her smile. Obviously Berserk hated her because she was cute and that was stupid. Enemies weren't supposed to be cute. Enemies were supposed to be gross and ugly and stupid. Blossom was the exact opposite of all of that... Blossom liked to make her own rules and Berserk couldn't help but want to find out what all of them were.

She'd been harsh, she knew, but she also knew that it wasn't a good idea to get too close. It was like Icarus and the Sun, even though technically, Blossom should be Icarus, because of the ice flowing through her veins, but... Berserk was terrified of getting frostbitten. The last time she had gotten to close to someone, she'd ended up brutally rebuffed and she would prefer to stay closed off for the rest of her life from the painful clutches of people who were not her own family. Only her family understood her. Then again, they knew nothing about her. They didn't know she was kind of afraid of men. They didn't know she liked women... they surely didn't know that she'd had a crush on the pink Powerpuff for over a year at one point.

With a soft sigh, Berserk plugged her headphones in and let herself doze off in that tree, the warmth of the sun breaking through the leaves soothing her. She didn't know how long she slept, but she knew that when she woke up, it was to her brothers calling for her to come down so they could pick up a pizza on the way home... she also couldn't help but focus on the soft, pink sweater that had somehow managed to be laid over her chest while she slept like a blanket. The scent clinging to it was eerily familiar, but she didn't exactly know why... it smelled like strawberries and vanilla; sickeningly sweet but weirdly comforting. She didn't know why she took such care in pulling it on either. 

* * *

At home, Berserk could relax more. Or... well, she had been able to. But now, she arrived home to a room completely made over, head to toe. It was pepto bismal pink, with flowery wallpaper and a white shag carpet with gold threads in some places... it was her worst nightmare. When she'd gone to school, it had been red and black... now it looked like her own personal hellscape, but somehow, it reminded her of Blossom. She lied to herself and said that that made it worse. She hated Blossom. Probably. 

She took a deep breath as she threw her backpack on the bed, groaning as she stepped out of that damned skirt, throwing on a pair of maroon sweats and walking out to the kitchen, grabbing the apple juice from the fridge and slamming the cap on the counter, head tipping back as she drank it straight from the jug, Boomer and Butch cheering her own to chug, which made her laugh before she did as they asked, chugging down the whole thing, much to the distaste of her parents. 

"Daughter, that is very bad for you!" Mojo exclaimed, her stomach flipping at the address, but pushing it off as a side effect of how much apple juice she had just downed. "Something bad for you is not good and something not good is very bad!"

  
HIM on the other hand only shook his head and took a drink from his own cup. "I told you we should have raised her like a proper little girl... she's so pretty, but she acts so... crudely. Far too crudely for a lady, anyways."

Berserk scowled. "I'm just fine."

"Sweetheart, you spilled apple juice all over that pretty sweater." HIM sighed, clicking his claw at her, not noticing the way she froze. "Say, I don't remember buying that o-"

He didn't get to finish, because Berserk was running to the sink, having pulled off the sweater and was desperately trying yo get the apple juice out of the sweater, praying it wouldn't leave a stain on the baby pink fabric of the sweater, internally hitting herself for ruining something so undeniably pretty, especially because it wasn't hers and the fabric suggested that it was most definitely expensive. 

HIM arrived next to her, turning off the sink. "Let me take care of that, honey... you look stressed. Would you like some tea?"

Berserk hated to admit it... but even the devil could be comforting. She nodded softly, moving to sit at the table and waiting patiently until her 'mother' brought her a cup of tea, having made it just the way she liked it. "Thanks..."

"Of course." HIM giggled, Berserk trying to deny just how odd it was that such a cynical individual could giggle like a proud mother. "Now... why don't you tell me what's got you all worked up?"

"I'm not worked up... besides, talking about feelings is for pussies."

HIM raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so crude... and no, it's not, I find it rather beneficial. Talk to mommy."

Berserk bit her lip, looking at the cup before deciding what to say. She couldn't say it was Blossom, because she shouldn't be remorseful over something mean she said to a Powerpuff. It would ruin all of the efforts she and the boys had made to cover their tracks towards better lives. "I, uh. I was kind of a di- a jerk to a girl today. She didn't deserve it. I bumped into her and... well. I ended up making fun of her... and her sister too."

  
"Oh, dear... that's no good." HIM clicked his tongue, frowning as he looked at Berserk. "But... that's not all, is it?"

  
"No... she um... well, she also said some things... and it was some stuff that kind of bothered me... and I am just thinking about how bad it must have felt for her. She didn't deserve me yelling at her..."

  
"I see..." He nodded. "Did you apologize?"

"No..."

"Well, perhaps you should! This girl is not your enemy! I know that if it was one of those annoying, devilish girls, you would have absolutely destroyed them the moment they opened their mouths!" He laughed maniacally before clearing his throat and looking Berserk directly in the eye. "Right?"

Berserk swallowed, but nodded softly, taking a sip of the tea. "Yeah... um, I think I might go to bed early, mom..."

"Are you getting sick?" Mojo asked, eyes narrowing. "I bet you one of those girls infected you with their filth! Their filth that is dirty because girls like them are filthy and filthy means d-"

"No, pops. I'm fine. Just tired." 

Berserk ignored the rest of the questions that met her back, walking into her bedroom with a soft sigh as she threw her body onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling with a soft sigh. It was going to be a very, very long night. 


	2. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Berserk had never felt so speechless... so at a loss for words. How could this happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slides into booth three months late with a strawberry frappucino with a bandaged ankle and a new cat.* Right, so, it's been an amount of time. I am.... so sorry that it took me so long to update, but I simply couldn't finish this chapter? I don't know why. But today, I just slam dunked it and finished. It probably isn't that great, but aye. Writing fics like this can be... really emotionally taxing. I hope you all enjoy and that it was at least a little bit worth the wait!!! 🥺🥺🥺
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading and follow me on Instagram for more writing, art and other things @avesthetea

ex·po·sé

/ˌekspōˈzā/

_noun_

noun: **exposé** ; plural noun: **exposés**

a report of the facts about something, especially a report that reveals something scandalous.

* * *

Keeping a secret was something that was... incredibly hard for Berserk. Mainly because despite how truthfully annoying her brothers could be, they were surely her best friends in the entire world... they'd never judge her, something she was sure of, so long as they knew that she was still... morally sound. Berserk wasn't very sure that she knew what was morally sound... or if she even had any. 

It had been a week and it was eating her up inside. She'd come to terms with it... with herself, for the most part. She was... definitely a lesbian. She just... really wished she wasn't. She'd heard the horror stories. Women being attacked and harassed by men, based on suspicions that weren't ever even really confirmed... it happened all of the time. Logically speaking, she knew she would be alright, because she could shoot laser beams from her eyes and she also could break a man's arm with damn near the flick of the wrist. 

However, physical strength couldn't protect her from the hurtful words or the internal battle she already felt deep inside. She didn't _want_ to be a lesbian. She _wanted_ to be normal. She didn't understand why she couldn't just be normal. If it was so wrong, then why was she made this way? Why was she attracted to women? If there was a God, like some people said... why was it that he would create people and make them do what he was supposedly against? It just didn't make sense... but she also just didn't understand why it _wasn't_ normal. Why was it _weird_ to love someone? Yes, they were the same sex, but why should it matter? Loving someone of the same sex shouldn't make her... sinful. She was sinful for so much already. Adding more to the list felt like a slap in the face. Couldn't she be good for literally anything? It felt cruel. 

All of this pondering left her to one, very final decision. She needed to tell someone. And well, she figured, who better to tell than her brothers? They'd never judged her for anything before... they'd always been supportive... they'd sat with her for hours as she tried to practice ways to help manage her dyslexia, cheering her on and helping her when she got stuck, even if her pride wouldn't allow her to ask for it. They'd been there for her no matter what in the past... so why should this be any different? They were her brothers... her support system. 

She had been lying in bed when she came to this conclusion, laying on top of the blankets with her hands resting on her thighs, a sigh falling from her lips. Could she do this? While she knew they probably wouldn't judge her... it was still scary. Berserk hated feeling scared. She was sixteen... she shouldn't have to feel scared just from being herself. She should be able to live and be happy with herself... coming out was dumb. She shouldn't have to tell anyone. Why couldn't she just _be?_ She hated all of the little things that came with finding your identity. 

What if she was wrong? What if she said she was a lesbian, but she wasn't? What if she was actually straight? What if she was wrong and then she'd get ridiculed? What if people really took that as an 'it's a phase' thing...? The pain and confusion would never go away. That would never be a phase. She just didn't understand how people could even fucking say that. It never took away the pain and the suffering and the questioning of oneself... it would never go away, no matter what or who she identified as. And it was unfair. 

However... she knew that if there were any people on the planet who wouldn't judge her or claim it was a phase...? It was Butch and Boomer. They loved her... they'd honestly probably try and help her find her truth and her identity, want to take the weight off of her shoulders. She appreciated that more than she could say. So that day, while Mojo and HIM were out, she pulled herself off of her bed, her socked feet softly padding against the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself, peering into the living room to see Butch playing video games and Boomer idly strumming his guitar, pen between his lips and a notebook in his lap. 

"Um... hey, are you guys busy?" She asked, biting on her lip as she rubbed one of her arms, the soft pink sweater she'd woken up with in the tree clinging to her body... she didn't know why, but she couldn't help but not want to take it off. She didn't wear it to school, but the second she got home, she'd shrug herself into the dainty, thin fabric and just... relax. 

Boomer looked up first, shaking his head. "Nah... just trying to figure out the chorus for this piece."

Butch groaned as he died in his game, pausing it on the home screen, sitting the controller down and looking up at her. "Not anymore. Keep fucking dying. I think I'm done for now... yeah."

"Cool, cool..." She cleared her throat, standing up straight. "I, uh... I need to talk to you guys about something."

"I- Berserk. I just want to let you know... whatever that green-eyed bitch said I did... I did not." Butch defended, hands up. "She's had it out for me since day one!"

Berserk blinked. "Butch... I'm going to ignore what you just said... and just... move past that."

"Oh, ok, cool. Because in that case, I didn't do anything." 

Boomer snorted, rolling his eyes as he took his pen in his hand again, writing something down. "What's up, B?"

She swallowed, moving to sit beside Boomer and Butch on the couch, biting her lip softly as she looked up at the ceiling, anxiety flowing through. Boomer noticed very quickly, Butch looking at her with concern. "Are you good? You look like you just found out the hottest woman alive died."

Berserk snorted, laughing a little breathlessly. How ironic. Butch somehow always said the most ridiculous, but spot-on things. "No, but... on the topic of hot women."

"You literally _just_ said we weren't talking about Buttercup." He glared, pouting. "You're a sadist, you just love to bully me, huh?"

"At least you're finally admitting you think she's hot." Boomer muttered, giving Butch a smug grin, which caused a heavy slap to be aimed for the back of Boomer's head. 

"As amusing as this is. I do seriously have to tell you guys something and it has _nothing_ to do with Buttercup." She hummed, biting onto her lip as she let her mind wash over her one more time.

How much time did she have to make something up? She could tease Boomer about the tiny blonde. She could... she could ask if they wanted to see that movie about the girls who worked at the strip club, even though she'd be suffocating in the theater. She could... she could be honest. Be confident in her choice and knowledge that she was on the way to discovering herself. 

Who did _she_ want to be? There were so many questions... so many tiny, little things that were flowing through her mind. She felt like she was choking on her thoughts... on the secrets she was holding inside of herself. She needed to share them. She needed the support... she needed to be told that no matter what, things were going to be ok. Sure, she knew that there was not really anything 'wrong' with being a lesbian... it would just make her feel a bit more confident if someone else knew and supported her... and she trusted her brothers more than anything. 

Her answer was to tell them who she wanted to be. It felt like the storm was raging inside of her and it was finally heading towards the calm... the calamity never lasted for long... right? There was only so much disaster that could be held over someone until it finally evened out and all things went back to the way they were before... better than ever and free. Berserk wanted to be so incredibly free. She wanted to feel like she was soaring and swimming through an endless sea of choices and decisions, all things she could make for herself. She wanted to be true to her own self and no one else... and she was confident she'd get there someday. 

"I... this is a little... ok, I'm going to be honest, I'm kind of nervous. Well... no, actually, I'm... _very_ nervous..." She said, voice a little shaky as she tried to keep herself calm. "And I know that's wimpy to say. But it's true and... and I want to be honest, I guess? I dunno, you guys are my brothers... and like... my best friends, at the same time. I just... I need to tell you guys something."

Boomer looked at her, expression soft as he moved to sit on the arm of the couch behind her, pressing a hand to her shoulder. "Take your time, 'serk."

She felt a bit reassured, giving him a slightly crooked smile, seeing Butch twitch as he pulled his legs onto the couch, crossing them as he nodded at her. She felt... strong. She felt like she could do anything, so long as she had them.

"I'm... I think... I like girls! I think they're very pretty and nice and they smell good and I'm-" She swallowed, feeling an odd sort of desperation filling up her chest. She tried to swallow it down, groaning softly as her eyes watered. "Goddammit, I am _not_ crying over this! It's fucking stupid!"

Boomer and Butch were silent, looking at her in surprise. It made her feel worse somehow, that they were silent... she'd rather have them protest. Have them tell her they found her disgusting or that it was wrong... for them to tell her anything. For them to stop looking at her like that. Butch spoke first.

"Um... wait, like... you like girls how... me and _Boom_ like girls...?" He asked, tilting his head. "Like... kissing girls and... stuff?"

She made a soft sound, unable to find the words to express what she was feeling. 

"Oh..." He blinked, pausing for a moment before nodding. "Sweet! Now I can talk to you about girls."

"I- what?"

"I mean. I could before, but now we can talk about how hot they are and that's pretty cool." Butch grinned, reaching out and ruffling her hair. Berserk's jaw was practically on the floor. "Wait, ok... are you like... a lesbian? Or like... do you like both?"

"U-Um... I'm... a lesbian, I think..." She mumbled, face a little flushed at the blatant wording... she'd never really said it out loud before. 

Boomer finally moved, wrapping her up in a hug and squeezing her tight, Berserk almost choking from the force. "I'm so happy for you, 'serk. Seriously! That's pretty cool, you're very brave."

She looked up at her brothers who were both now hugging her with a stupid amount of pressure. "I... I am?"

"Yeah, totally!" Boomer nodded, patting her back. "But I'm really happy you told us!" 

Butch nodded along, roughly smacking her back. "Hell yeah! It's totally badass, man!"

Berserk felt an odd sort of lightness in her chest, smiling warmly at the compliments from her brothers. She knew that not everyone would share the same opinion, but she heavily intended on coming out to people in due time. Things were... definitely more open in society than they had been, but it still wasn't a very... safe or comfortable. Berserk honestly wondered if she'd ever be comfortable with telling people, but in the end, she knew that the only two people she really needed to support her were her brothers... and that was enough. 

* * *

Walking into school on Monday morning was never a very fun time. Perhaps it was the part where Monday was truly the end of the weekend and she was forced to go back to school and be surrounded by the absolute buffoons that made up the student body. Half of the boys were stuck on pot, while the other half seemed to be either a rich asshole or a 'poser' who liked to dress like they played golf. For fun. And the girls... the girls were worse. They were half airhead and half conniving bitch... you didn't know true terror until you were the unpopular girl in the locker room... who just so happened to be a closeted lesbian. Yeah... Berserk more often than not changed in one of the stalls. 

It didn't matter... walking into school was weird and she hated the way guys tried to make passes at her until they saw her brothers behind her, glaring through them... however, today was different somehow. The looks she was receiving weren't the same as a guy wanting to get into her pants... no, these were half looks of disgust and a half... half something she couldn't quite identify, but it sent a shiver down her spine, discomfort filling her up as she walked down the hall. Butch was standing next to her, looking just as confused but tossing an arm over her shoulder as they made their way to their lockers. 

Boomer had gone ahead that morning on account of any early baseball practice and she wondered briefly if he'd done something... it wouldn't be the first time she was blamed for one of her brother's mistakes, She sighed softly, shaking her head as she got into her locker, beginning to get her books for her honors English course. She looked down the hall curiously before looking back at Butch.

"Call that dumbass, will you?" She asked, humming when he pulled out his cell phone. It didn't take long though, because they heard Boomer's cell phone going off and suddenly he was next to them, looking a bit frazzled. "Uh... you ok, Boomer? You look a little... ruffled."

"B-Berserk, listen, I-" 

He was cut off, a guy from the football team, gripping his shoulder and grinning. "Say, Jojo, wanna let me try and get with your sister...? Maybe I could convince her to be _normal._ "

Boomer glared, grabbing his wrist and flipping him over. "Berserk is _normal,_ you dick! She's a lesbian, not diseased!" 

Berserk's eyes widened in horror and Butch watched the scene in shock. Suddenly, everything she'd been afraid of came crashing down. Everyone was staring... looking at her... some laughing... some glaring... she couldn't breathe. She felt her back hit the locker, Butch standing in front of her. He was yelling... but she couldn't hear it... she couldn't hear the words. Her ears were ringing and the next thing she knew, there was a flurry of pink... the soft scent of strawberries and warm arms wrapping tight around her as she was dragged outside, the muffled sounds of people yelling and laughing at her making it incredibly obvious that she was crying... that and the warm wetness falling down her face and the salt on her lips undeniable... she was crying in front of everyone. Could this get more humiliating? 

The second she was thrust outdoors, she felt herself gasping for air, this part of the courtyard blessedly empty in the mornings. She felt her knees buckle, sitting on the ground and clutching pathetically at the grass, sobbing brokenly... she couldn't breathe. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears, unable to see even a foot in front of her. She didn't see the person who sat in front of her, but she felt the soft hands that grabbed her own... the soft hum of a voice trying to flit into her ears... she couldn't understand the words, but it slowly brought her back down. 

She couldn't properly breathe still, but she slowly let her eyes clear, finding Blossom in front of her. "B-Blossom...? W-What are you doing? Y-You should be getting ready for class..."

"Oh, hush, you dummy..." Blossom frowned, pulling her in tight for a hug. "Are you ok...? You scared me..."

Berserk was a bit rigid in Blossom's arms, her face flushing slightly. "W-Why are you... what?"

"This is called a hug. I am giving you one because you are crying and shaking like a life." She laughed nervously, pulling back a little. "I'm sorry if you don't like that..."

Berserk swallowed slightly, leaning forward into Blossom's arms and sighing against her shoulder. "I... I hate this day..."

"I understand... do you want me to walk you home?" 

She raised an eyebrow, looking over at Blossom. "You'd miss class..."

"Your safety and well being is more important than class to me right now." She scoffed. "Not to mention, I finished our book a week ago."

"Blossom, that was assigned a week ago-"

"Details details." She laughed, shrugging. "If you want... I can walk you home... and... and I could hang out with you until you're feeling a bit better? I could buy us pizza!" 

"Why are you... why are you being so nice to me...?" 

Blossom's face flushed and she laughed nervously. "Well, I... I know how you feel, is all..." 

"What do you mean...?" She blinked, staring at her and her eyes widened. "Oh my God, _are you a closet lesbian!?_ Blossom, I'm so sorry for saying that!"

Blossom laughed, shaking her head. "No, um... I'm a bisexual... I like both. Boys and girls..."

Berserk blinked, nodding. "Oh... wow, that's surprising."

"Uh... why?"

"Well, I mean... you're everything nice, y'know...? And... being... being like that's not... it's not right."

Blossom frowned. "Berserk, listen... it's not a bad thing to love people. Some people... some people just want to hate people and things so they do. They hate us because we're supers. They hate me because I'm a redhead and have no soul... they can hate me for anything they want, but it doesn't stop me from being myself. So long as you're happy with yourself, then it's ok in my book." 

"But... what if I'm not happy with myself...?" She asked, looking at her 'enemy' nervously.

"Then maybe you're not really a lesbian!" Blossom smiled, but faltered when Berserk glared. "No, no, I'm not saying that you don't like girls, I'm saying... I'm saying maybe it's something else _and_ you like girls! It might even be just because you've been hiding it and haven't gotten to experience it!" 

"What about you... you're hiding it, aren't you?"

"Oh... well, yeah, but... my family knows." She smiled. "I'm not really hiding it, I guess... I'm just waiting for the right time. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you didn't get to pick..." 

Berserk nodded softly, still unable to believe what Boomer had done... she didn't know that she'd even be able to look at him for some time. "Yeah..."

Blossom bit her lip, softly stroking her arm. "Let's get out of here, ok...?"

"You're sure...?"

"Totally... it's been long enough, everybody should be in class and I can have Buttercup bring us our missing assignments so don't worry!" 

Berserk, despite having told herself for so long that it would be so terrible to be near Blossom... was pretty sure there was no one better to be around currently. Blossom wasn't evil... she wouldn't lie about something like this to hurt her... she genuinely just wanted to be there and to help her through it... she couldn't begin to express how grateful she truly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaaaa, hopefully chapter three won't take another three months- 💀💀💀


End file.
